Newly Released Jersey Highlands Trail Map, Morris County

If you love hiking in the area, you'll be pleased to know that the NYNJ Trail Conference has released a trail map of Morris County, north of I-80 and south of Route 23.

Avid hiker and long-time reader, Pete Beck shares the following about the Jersey Highlands - Central North Region Trail Map.
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The newly released TC map of Morris County north of I-80 and south of Rte 23
By Pete Beck, date 5/11/11, rev 9/21/11

The New York/New Jersey Trail Conference has published its first entirely new hiking trail map in 10 years.

It covers the area North of I-80 and South of Rte 23 from High Mountain preserve in the east to Stephens Park in the west.  A feature on the map that I find especially useful is the trail head parking areas with enough detail to show the local roads necessary to get to them.

The map is called "Jersey Highlands Trails, Central North Region" and has 230 Miles of Trails in 30 Parks; it can be ordered from the NYNJTC website - http://www.nynjtc.org/cart or picked up at the hiking stores, [e.g., Ramsey, REI, Campmor, and EMS].

I am especially proud of the details shown for Rockaway Township (yes, I contributed).  This is a good map to learn to do map reading on and maybe plan a hike from [e.g., 95 Mile Fire Tower at Budd Lake, the old Ogden railroad right of way near Minisink park in Hopatcong, the Audobon Trail in the Sparta WMA, etc.].

For the Kinnelon crowd the trails in Apshawa, Echo lake, Mountainside park, Silas Condit, Kakeout (Butler) reservoir, Split Rock and Pyramid Mountain are covered.

If you are not familiar with the New York New Jersey Trail Conference (the volunteer hiking infrastructure people in our area) then visit their web site, www.NYNJTC.ORG.  Of particular interest is their on-line catalog of hikes accessible with a search engine.  Also, find out how you can become a volunteer trail maintainer.

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Thank you, Pete, and congratulations on the release of the Jersey Highlands Trails, Central North Region trail map!

Pete writes a blog RT Outdoors about exploring the outdoor spaces of Rockaway Township, Morris County, NJ. He is very active in the Union County Hiking Club.

I recommend, too, that you check out Pete's Picasa Photo Album with amazing photos of area hikes.

Happy Hiking!

Added 10/16/11:  A reminder from Estelle - "Echo Lake and surrounding Pequannock Watershed are owned by City of Newark and require purchase of a hiking permit from their office on Echo Lake Rd." Thank you, Estelle.